If you’ve spent any time out and about in Houston the past couple weeks, you probably won’t be surprised to learn the Astros’ Space City uniforms are a big hit. The jerseys, T-shirts and caps seem to be everywhere, which the Astros confirmed Wednesday when they sat out a release reporting that the day the Space City gear went on sale was their team store’s second-largest non-gameday sales total ever, behind only the day after the team won the 2017 World Series.
The Space City uniforms are part of the Nike City Connect project in which Nike and each Major League Baseball team work together to come up with a uniform that properly and creatively represents their community. Seven teams wore City Connect uniforms last season and seven more will unveil their new duds this season with only the Nationals and Astros showing off theirs so far. The Royals (April 30), Rockies (June 4), Angels (June 11), Brewers (June 24) and Padres (July 8) are still to come.
The Astros, who have incredible details throughout their gear that relate to Houstonwill wear their Space City uniforms for the first time Wednesday night against the Angels.
We took the nine City Connect uniforms we’ve seen so far and ranked them from worst to first…
9. Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Trea Turner looks on during a game against the New York Mets on August 20, 2021 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Dodgers unveiled their Los Dodgers City Connect Uniforms in 2021.
Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesDid the designer of the Dodgers’ City Connect uniform get the assignment the night before it was due? It’s way too close to the Dodgers’ regular jerseys – which, admittedly, are pretty sweet – but show some creativity, instead of just putting “Los Dodgers” on the front. And that “The Dodgers” hat is just ugly.
8. Giants
Thairo Estrada of the San Francisco Giants reacts to a ground ball against the Washington Nationals in the top of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on July 10, 2021 in San Francisco, California. The Giants are wearing an alternate uniform called City Connect.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesThe designer gets an A-plus for the cool Golden Gate Bridge silhouette on the sleeves and on the side of the caps, but that narrow G logo? Swing and a miss. They also whiffed by playing with a gradient at the bottom of the logo and the bridge on the sleeves to give a sense of omnipresent Bay Area fog. Surely, there are cooler things about San Francisco than fog, right?
7. Cubs
Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs plays against the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on June 12, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Cubs debuted their Wrigleyville City Connect Uniforms in 2021.
David Banks/Getty ImagesThis one is probably lower on the list just because of how badly they got outdone by the rival White Sox. “Wrigleyville” is cool to have splashed across the front and the navy blue jerseys with the matching pants is striking. The light blue accents representing the Chicago flag is also a nice touch, but it’s still all a little boring.
6. Diamondbacks
Caleb Smith of the Arizona Diamondbacks delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field on June 18, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks unveiled their Serpentes City Connect Uniforms in 2021.
Norm Hall/Getty ImagesThe Diamondbacks stuck with their usual team colors – Sedona Red and Sonoran Sand – but flipped them to make the goldish Sonoran Sand the primarily color and the red more of an accent. The tip of the cap to their Hispanic fan base by changing the name to “Serpientos” is much cooler than “Los Dodgers.”
5. Marlins
Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot park on June 27, 2021 in Miami. The Marlins unveiled their City Connect uniforms in 2021.
Mark Brown/Getty ImagesThese unis pay tribute to the Havana Sugar Kings, the Class AAA team of the Cincinnati Reds based in Cuba in the 1950s. They’re a hit with the large Cuban population in South Florida, and everyone else is just glad the designers didn’t go with a too obvious Miami Vice reference.
4. Red Sox
Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox reacts as he wears the Nike City Connect jersey before a game against the Chicago White Sox on April 17, 2021 at Fenway Park in Boston.
Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty ImagesThis is probably the most divisive of all the City Connect designs, just because of the affinity fans have for the traditional Red Sox unis and the huge step away from that tradition with these uniforms. As weird as it is to see the Red Sox in yellow and blue, it’s a nod to the Boston Marathon and Patriots’ Day, which is huge for the city.
3.Nationals
Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals walks to the dugout during the game against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on April 9, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Nationals unveiled their City Connect uniforms in 2022.
Greg Fiume/Getty ImagesPutting pink on the jerseys was daring and it just looks really good combined with the gray. The nod to the city’s cherry blossoms connects perfectly to the area and is much better than trying to go with something presidential.
2. Stars
The all-Navy look is sharp, and the hat, which features the team’s iconic Star H log but with a rainbow gradient and planetary tracks around it, might be the best of all the City Connect options. The NASA-inspired font works really well, and the number on the pants leg is also a cool tribute to the 1970s Astros uniforms.
1. White Sox
Tim Anderson (7), Nick Madrigal (1) and Danny Mendick (20) of the Chicago White Sox pose for a photo prior to the game against the Detroit Tigers on June 5, 2021 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox debuted their Nike City Connect Southside uniforms on this day.
Ron Vesely/Getty ImagesSouthside in that gray Gothic font make these uniforms tough to beat and popular among anyone who lives on the Southside of any city (shout out to Alief, Texas). The head-to-toe black with pinstripes is also just razor sharp.
